Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Is there really such a thing as "green shipping"? With Winkydinks, I'm trying to focus my efforts on staying as green as possible, but that's a little challenging considering 95% of my customers are out of state. So I chose to make my shipping as cost effective and environmentally responsible as possible.

I switched to Eco-Enclose polymailers. These are biodegradable or recyclable, in addition to being very sturdy (a.k.a. REUSABLE!). Many people who cloth diaper wind up selling/trading diapers with others and these are perfect because they don't add weight to your package.

I don't include unnecessary wrapping

With the exception of International packages, all of my shipping is done from home via PayPal (no extra trips to the post office, which saves gas)

But I felt like I should be doing more. I researched ways to do carbon neutral shipping, and have found something that will work for me. It's called Green Shipping. (click to go to a Demo screen).

I pay (a price per shipment they have calculated by distance and weight) to offset the carbon used in that delivery. I can also add in personal packages I have received or sent, as long as I have a tracking number! They also offer package tracking, which my customers can use. I haven't figured out the best way to send that information out, but am working on it.

So if you're curious, you could enter in your own tracking number and see what it says!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

If you're lucky enough to have some real silver pieces, you know that they do have to be polished from time to time. The commercial silver polishes contain harsh chemicals, but you can clean them without exposing yourself and your family to them.
I found this article (look for "make your own silver dip") which explains how to do it with simple household ingredients, and I'm happy to say it worked! I had two piggy banks that needed the tarnish removed, and after sitting for about 5 minutes in the solution plus some rubbing, most of it came off! I will say it may not have gotten off all of it, but it's definitely shiny, and I'm glad it was natural!